It was an up and down season that included low points such as the blowout road loss in Columbus and high points like upset victories over ranked opponents in Michigan and Wisconsin. In the end, the Nittany Lions finished 7-5 and posted another winning record under Bill O'Brien's leadership in the sanction era. Let's take a look back at the season and hand out five awards to some of the more outstanding players on the team in 2013.
The No. 16 Nittany Lions men's soccer season was stopped short on Sunday night with a 2-0 loss to seventh-seeded New Mexico in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament. Goalkeeper Andrew Wolverton made seven saves in the contest, doing his best to give the offense a chance to win the Sweet 16 matchup, but it wasn't enough as the Lobos blanked the Nittany Lions.
The Nittany Lions ended the season on a high note once again, topping the No. 15 Wisconsin Badgers on the road 31-24. The win clinched another winning season at 7-5 for Bill O'Brien in his second year as Penn State's head coach. Nobody -- including our staff here at Onward State -- expected or predicted an upset victory for the Nittany Lions in Madison on Saturday. After taking some time to digest what went down yesterday afternoon, we handed out some grades to the team for the last time this year.
Sometimes they say that you should save the best for last. Against the No. 15 Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday afternoon in Madison, the Penn State Nittany Lions did just that, pulling off a 31-24 upset win in the final game of the season to finish 7-5. For what seems like the first time all year, the team put together a complete game, succeeding on both offense and defense against one of the best teams in the conference and the nation to end the 2013 season on a high note with a shocking upset.
Good morning from Camp Randall Stadium, where the Penn State Nittany Lions (6-5, 3-4) are set to face the Wisconsin Badgers (9-2, 6-1) this afternoon. Penn State enters the final game of the season coming off of a tough 23-20 overtime loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Senior Day at Beaver Stadium last Saturday. We have all of the media information and coverage you need for today.
Penn State's roller coaster season comes to a close tomorrow afternoon against Wisconsin (9-2, 6-1) at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. The Badgers are almost certainly the second toughest opponent that Penn State (6-5, 3-4) has faced this season, trailing only National Title-contender Ohio State.